Published Paper Details:

Bhabani Bhattacharya's So Many Hungers! (1947) is a powerful social novel rooted in the historical reality of the Bengal Famine of 1943, a catastrophe that exposed the deep inequalities and moral failures of colonial India. The novel presents hunger not merely as physical starvation but as a complex condition shaped by economic exploitation, social injustice, and ethical collapse. Despite advances in science and technology, hunger continues to persist in the 21st century, intensified by global inequality, climate change, conflict, and uneven food distribution. This study addresses the continuing relevance of Bhattacharya's concern by re-reading So Many Hungers! in the context of contemporary food crises. The primary objective of the article is to examine how the novel's portrayal of hunger, inequality, and human dignity resonates with present-day realities and challenges prevailing notions of development. The study adopts a qualitative methodology rooted in close textual analysis, supported by a socio-political and Gandhian ethical framework to interpret the novel's themes. By juxtaposing colonial-era famine with modern food insecurity, the article highlights literature's enduring role as a social critique and moral warning. The study concludes that So Many Hungers! remains a profoundly relevant text, offering critical insights into the structural causes of hunger and the urgent need for humane and ethical responses in the contemporary world.